Wine: a theft worth 5 million at the Antinori cellars in Cortona
According to the FT, last Saturday seven thieves made off with 30,000 bottles from the Florentine company’s warehouses
Key points
Italian wine is struggling on the markets but, at the same time, is flying off the shelves. This is the conclusion to be drawn from the major theft of fine wines suffered by Antinori (as reported by the FT), one of Italia’s leading and most renowned wine producers, during the night between last Saturday and Sunday. Two lorries broke into the winery in Cortona, where the group’s logistics hub is based. Around 30,000 bottles of wines such as Guado al Tasso, Solaia and Tignanello were stolen, with an estimated value of 5 million euros. It is one of the largest wine thefts ever recorded in Italia. Seven masked men entered the warehouse, disabled the alarm system and made off with the haul — thousands of cases of the company’s famous Tuscan reds. The stolen bottles usually have a retail price of between 150 and 500 euros each.
A rise in wine thefts in Italia
This is the latest in a series of wine thefts that have taken place in Italia recently, carried out by criminals whose careful selection of bottles reflects a deep knowledge of wine and inside information about their targets. Just a few weeks ago in the Langhe region of Piedmont, the Conterno e Fantino winery suffered the theft of 3,000 fine bottles – a tenth of the quantity stolen from Antinori, but nonetheless a real blow for a medium-sized winery.
An operation carried out by professionals
“They were undoubtedly professional thieves, but also wine connoisseurs, judging by the bottles they stole,” comments Antinori’s CEO, Renzo Cotarella. “ “We are still verifying the figures, but it should amount to roughly 10,000–12,000 bottles of Solaia, the same number of Tignanello, plus other labels such as Guado al Tasso, magnums and special formats.”
Attack on Cortona, the group’s logistics hub
The thieves targeted the Cortona winery because that is where the group’s logistics centre is based. Solaia and Tignanello are produced at the Tignanello estate in San Casciano Val di Pesa (Florence), in the heart of the Chianti Classico region, whilst Guado al Tasso is produced in Bolgheri (Livorno).
A theft for which the company is unlikely to receive compensation from its insurers. “Of course we’re insured,” adds Antinori’s CEO, “but for minor thefts – a few bottles, a few cartons – the policies are unlikely to cover an incident on this scale. We are looking into what to do.”
